Time
by Nekketsu
Summary: A series about the limited time the leader of SEES spent with one of her new dorm mates. When it comes to love, it's not always about how much time people spend together, but how they decide to spend it.
1. Strays

**Notes:** If there are any criticisms, suggestions, etc. you want to make, please do. I admit that the pace will be a bit slow, and some inaccuracies may arise. Some are intentional, like dialog changes. I mean, I wouldn't want to read the same things over and over again, it's not fun that way.

Also, as an incentive for reviewing, I realize that not everyone likes the names Hamuko and Minako. So I wanted to ask, should I stick with the nameless thing, or should I go with Hamuko or Minako? I don't really like the idea of using an original name, since it's kind of self-insert-ish, but if you guys want to go that way I used Rin. The choice is your guys' and I'll only know what you want if you review.

**Persona 3, its characters, creatures, locations etc. are copyrighted material by Atlus. **

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Strays

The night sky, devoid of the brilliance of stars, was illuminated by the peaceful white glow of the moon. The very same moon reflected in the solemn, wine-colored eyes of a girl taking one of the late monorail rides to Port Island Station. Even though the car was empty save for a few middle aged men sleeping through their commute, she chose to stand by the exit, clutching onto the support pole with one hand, and a medium sized brown paper bag tucked under her other arm. As the light bounced and sparkled on the black waters of the ocean she let her mind drift.

It was hard to believe that such a glow would become tainted and offer no solace to anyone, damned or not. The thought of it alone fueled her desire to rid the world of the Dark Hour, but not enough so to rid the anxiety she felt every month before the next full moon. There was less than a week left, and already she was having trouble sleeping.

The lights of the station flooded the small car as the train came to its stop, a pleasant beeping sounded as the doors slid open. A request to not forget personal belongings began to play as she adjusted the brown bag in her arm and stepped out of the automatic doors. The warm night air greeted her skin immediately and she breathed it in deeply, a welcome change to the overly air-conditioned car. She shook her head, allowing the warmth to take her for a moment as her auburn ponytail swayed from side to side and the oddly arranged white pins reflected the harsh lighting, making them glow.

Not wanting to waste time, she started down the stairs, going down the steps two at a time, careful with her package a smile spread across her lips. Although she had doubts about many things these days, she knew that there was no way he wouldn't appreciate her special gift today.

The air in the back alley was tinted with the scent of alcohol and populated with the usual fare; people wishing their troubles away through the bottle or nobodies looking for a good time. Although she was getting more attention than she originally anticipated, the brunette walked on unfazed through the small crowds and cat calls that went after her.

Without warning a firm grasp on her forearm made her falter mid-stride, jerking her back toward her assailant. A sound of shock locked in her throat, but she quickly pulled her arm back sharply but the grip on her arm tightened painfully as it dragged her back further into a darker part of the alley. The girl continued with her struggle, careful not to drop the bag she carried. Frustrated, she threw her body away from the bind and was rewarded with release a second after. She caught her balance before she could fall and glared back at the shadowy figure that stood across from her.

"I thought I told you not to come back here," a familiar, gruff voice scolded her, irritation clear in his voice.

With a huff she replied defiantly, "I have my reasons for being here, and they're none of your business!"

Unsatisfied with her answer, the young man stepped forward. His gaze was sharp as his form became clearer as he stepped into the glow of the neon lights. The long, heavy coat as well as his dark gray beanie clashed with the summer atmosphere but suited him all the same. However, although he was a familiar face and wasn't labeled as a threat, she met his glare with her own.

He came to a stop only a couple of steps away from her and she straightened up, almost as if trying to match his height as she sized him up. The crinkling of the bag caught his attention, and as he diverted his eyes to the source. In her arms, almost like she was trying to hide it, she held a brown paper bag, from the looks of it, whatever in it seemed fairly light and only part of the way filled.

If he didn't look angry before, he grimaced as he looked her right in the eye demanding a real answer. "What is it that you're hiding there?"

She responded by twisting her body defensively, further keeping the package from view. "Like I said, it's none of your business!"

"Don't give me that shit, "he spat, reaching for it, "parading around here at this hour with something like that's gonna get you killed!"

"I don't know what you think this is," she said, moving the bag to her other side, her arm stretched out as far as it could go, the parcel made a rattling sound as it followed, "but like I keep saying, it's none of your business!"

The paper bag wasn't safe for long however, and with a quick swipe of his hand, the opposing youth's hand found its grip on the side of the thin bag. With a hard yank, the frail paper ripped and the contents of the bag spilled relentlessly on the cement floor. A clear plastic bottle bounced off the followed by the banging of heavy tin cans.

The girl's ruby colored eyes were wide as she watched her gifts violently hit the ground. Her teeth clenched as her lips formed a thin line. "Now look what you did!"

Ignoring her onslaught of complaints the man kneeled down and picked up the plastic bottle first. Examining it in the limited light didn't help much. It wasn't a medicine bottle and he could have sworn he was looking at a picture of-

He was torn from his inspection when louder clashes of metal sounded from the dark space behind him. A white speck was darting for the pair. Startled, he quickly stood clutching the bottle in his hands. A white, black-spotted cat slowed down to a trot and was staring up at the girl, mewling impatiently and occasionally brushing along her ankles. She simply brought her arms up in surrender.

"Hey, I know. I was busy today, so sorry I'm late. I even got you a special treat to make it up to you," she was laughing as the cat stared right into her eyes as it continued to cry. She tossed a glance at the man next to her and continued, "Unfortunately, I just got mugged."

The cat, as though it understood, shifted its hungry gaze on the man and spotted the "special treat". As soon as he was in reach, the cat clawed its way as far as his front paws could take him up the man's pant leg, meowing even louder.

"This could have gone a hell of a lot easier if you would have just said it was cat food." The man sighed as he pulled the ring of the tin can back and set it on the ground. The cat purred loudly as it dug its face into the soft food. A stubborn "hmph" answered him and his efforts of appeasement but a slight smile on her lips shortly followed as she repeatedly stroked the scruffy alley cat's fur. "This can't be the only reason you came here."

"Actually, it is," she nonchalantly informed.

"You're serious."

"Very."

"Aki didn't send you?"

"Nope, I just came to feed the cat."

"But why now? As dense as you are, you should know the streets ain't safe at night."

"Just like I said, I was too busy today, so I had to come now."

"That can't -"

"It's really what I'm saying. I just came because I promised I'd feed him everyday," she shook a few pieces from the plastic bottle into her palm, and placed them next to the now empty tin. The cat immediately went after the morsels, still purring. "That's really all there is to it."

She clapped her hands clean and picked up the extra two tins of soft food off the floor, frowning with disapproval over the small dents in the corners. Bringing herself to stand, she looked down at him, ready to verbally abuse him further. She paused at the scene she saw. He was rubbing the knuckle of his index finger on the underside of the cat's neck. It mewled in approval and a soft grin spread across the male's face.

She smiled at the display of tenderness; it was a complete contrast to his character. For some reason, she couldn't help feeling special. It was a fat chance that anyone else would see such a hardened shell cracked so easily. She remembered the weight in her hands and a thought crossed her mind.

Reluctantly, she held the cat food out in front of him. He glanced at the offer and then up at her, slightly confused. "Obviously only the cool kids get to hang around here. In case I don't have time during the day, you feed him."

"I don't think s-"

"Then I'll definitely come see you again tomorrow _night_," a cocky grin stretched to one side of her face. A disgruntled noise sounded from his throat and he snatched the cat food from her soft grasp. He brought himself back up on his feet and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"It's late. If you don't head back now you'll probably miss the last ride back to Iwatodai before midnight."

"It can't be that late already," she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and flipped it open. She pouted as the digital numbers confirmed it. "Fine, but I'll be back after school tomorrow to make sure you keep up your end of the deal."

"Whatever," he said gruffly. Without another word, she made her way to the end of the alley. He was glad she didn't put up much of a fight. If she were to hang around here much later and the wrong people decided to show up it wouldn't have been pretty. Anxiety shot through him and thoughtlessly he called out to her, "Wait!"

She paused before she could reach the corner and looked back over her shoulder. After a few seconds of silence passed the man strode toward her, his movements were stiff under her questioning stare as he searched for what he had wanted to say.

"What do you want now?" she asked.

He strode past her and came to a halt. "I'll walk you back to the station."

"How sweet of you," she responded sarcastically, "But I'll be fine on my own it's just over-"

"Look, I'm not saying you're not tough or anything, okay? I'd just rather make sure you got out of here without doing something stupid again." He started his pace again, not bothering to look at her while she rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you such a gentleman," her tone remained flat, "I can definitely see how Akihiko-senpai can vouch for a guy like you."

She jogged several paces to catch up, it's not like she could make stop him so she may as well indulge his ego. Although a little annoyed by his bluntness, she couldn't help a smile as she thought about how much of a softie he was on the inside. Teasingly, she tugged on the sleeve of his coat. When he looked back, she quickly made a move to get ahead of him and grinned.

"Always gotta be the leader, don't you," he couldn't believe that someone so juvenile could lead a group through battle after battle. The satisfied bob of her head only made her look that much more childish.

They made it to the empty station without difficulty just as the monorail pulled into its stop. She slid her ticket into the machine and pushed her way through the now unlocked fence spinning on her heel she grabbed the expelled ticket and waved with it to her escort, as if proving that she was really leaving.

"Take care of Orpheus or else!" With that, she bounced her way through the open car doors and took the seat closest to the window facing the coated figure on the other side of the gates. She sat up on her knees and stared at him, her eyes were shining in amusement.

The man shrugged off her gaze and began his decent off the station's platform. On the floor below, the black-spotted feline sat, and greeted him with a high pitched whine. The man sighed, now it'll probably never leave him alone.

"So, Orpheus, huh?" the cat meowed in response, seemingly trying to confirm it. The man knelt down and patted its head a couple of times and headed back to his usual spot, Orpheus trotted behind him. Suddenly it occurred to Shinjiro that he hadn't caught that girl's name yet. Did she even know his?


	2. Recruit

**Notes:** Minako pretty much won by a landslide. It seems no one wanted Rin. Too bad, I thought it had a nice "Rin-g" to it. (Yes, I just did that and yes, I have been waiting to use that.) To people who absolutely cannot stand the name, feel free to copy, paste and ctrl+H and replace it to whatever you want. (It won't hurt my feelings, I promise.)

Thank you to everyone who let me know what they thought, no criticism is insignificant. I want to take everything you guys say into account when I edit and write each chapter. After all, I wouldn't bother posting if I was doing it just for myself. So, again, anything you want to say, go ahead and say it. Also, does anyone find that I uploaded this chapter on this day amusing? ( if you're not on this side of the world it's 9/2.) I wonder if anyone will catch on...

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**Recruit**

Minako was barely conscious through the afternoon lessons. Her eyes were glazed over; her arm barely enough to keep her head propped up as it occasionally bobbed forward. She was definitely looking forward to a nap. That is, if she hadn't received that text message from her senior during her lunch break, Akihiko.

Her mind went through all the possible ways to deal with the sudden request. However, considering the message and who it came from, there was no way to bail out. When the school bell chimed, the brunette student in front of her immediately swiveled around in her seat, a concerned look in her eye.

"Not to pry or anything," she said, "but you don't look so good."

The ruby-eyed girl rubbed her eyes and yawned, "I'm fine, Yukari. Just a little tired."

"Yukari-san is correct," said the blond girl who was just assigned to the seat next to Minako, the tone of her voice was unnaturally level. "Your vital signs indicate that you are susceptible to illness."

"Oh, that's right," a male student chimed in, he rubbed his chin in pseudo-thought. "You were out pretty late last night. Must've been a pretty special private matter if it kept you out later than usual. Hey, I get it, that's what the text from Akihiko-senpai was all about! Way to go!"

"Please, Junpei," the SEES leader laughed and pulled herself out of her seat, and began packing her books, "It's nothing like that. Besides, he stayed at the dorms all last night."

"Oh, yeah, right…but then why all the secrecy, eh," the Cheshire-cat-like grin spread across his face looked almost permanent but disappeared all together soon after. "But, uh tell me later, okay? I gotta go!"

"Hey, Junpei, wait!" The brunette called after him but was ignored. Sighing, she got out of her desk, readjusted the pink sweater around her waist, and gathered her things. "Any idea what's gotten into him? He's been acting weird lately. Well, weirder than usual."

"Who knows, it's Junpei."

"True, but still," Yukari trialed off. "Anyway, I need to get going. I haven't been going to practice a lot lately. You shouldn't hang around here too long either."

"I know, I know," another yawn broke into the tired girl's sentence. "I just hope it doesn't take long. Are you coming Aigis?"

"I wish to remain here and gather more information on the school's customs to further assimilate with the other students."

"Oh, okay," The leader blinked but thought it was best to let the anti-shadow weapon do as she pleased. It was a wonder she was able to fool the faculty and student body with her stiff movements and speaking patterns. To be honest, she was interested to see the results that this warped social experiment would bring.

Yukari and Minako walked out of the classroom together before parting ways; waving each other off with a smile. As soon as Yukari's figure disappeared, the tired leader stretched to each side and began jogging down the stairs to the first floor hallway. She silently wished that the small energy boost would last for however long she needed.

Through the clear doors, the figure of a silver haired boy could bee seen as he stood on the base of the steps outside of the building. Surprisingly, the flock of girls that were usually flocking around him were absent.

Minako considered the possibility that she took a little more time getting there than she thought. Maybe it was a good idea that she stopped by the nurses' office to take some of that weird medicine after all. She didn't like the thought of having him waiting too long, but she was never in mood to deal with his fans. She pushed open the doors, not wanting them to interrupt her pace.

Once she got closer, she could see thought was etched into his face. Whatever it was that they needed to do was obviously taking its toll on him. She came to a stop next to him, jogging in place. He still didn't seem to notice she was there so she decided to speak. "Sorry, were you out here long?"

"No, not really," he answered, a justified look of confusion on his face as she bounced from one foot to the other. "But what're you-Oh, I get it. Training, right?"

"I-…I guess you could say that," a nervous smile spread on her face, for some reason she had that familiar burning sensation on her back…An ambush! "Anyway, let's get going."

"Right, we'll run and talk," a smirk tugged at one side of his face at the thought of a challenge. "I'll race you."

Unable to turn him down, the girl begrudgingly obliged. With how grave his expression looked earlier, it might be good to help him ease up. It had only been a few minutes outside of the school gates and she was already getting winded. Even though it was labeled as a race not long ago, Akihiko matched her sluggish pace.

She laughed, in spite of her uneven breath. "I thought you don't go easy on girls, Akihiko-senpai."

"I don't," the pugilist quickly denied, "But it would have been pointless to have asked you to come with me if I left you behind."

She simply nodded and replied, "Figures, I had plans today too…but duty calls I guess."

"Sorry, but this is more important," he said flatly, her joking tone apparently didn't reach him. In spite of her intentions, he reverted back into the serious state she found him in. She eyed the aluminum attaché case he had been carrying along. Although she had noticed it before, the fact that it was labeled "important" made her curious.

"So, what are we doing anyway? A delivery?"

"Not exactly," he remained silent for a moment. "We need to get someone to join, an old member."

If that was the case, then there was no doubt in her mind that he'd been carrying around an evoker. Luckily, by that point, they had already reached the plaza. An announcement carried over the area, stating that the monorail to Iwatodai Station wouldn't be arriving for another ten minutes.

She didn't realize how taxing the short exercise had been until they reached the stairs. Akihiko quickly began his ascent while the leader supported herself on the side railing but came to a sudden rest before making it to the third step.

Quickly noticing she wasn't keeping up; Akihiko looked back and spotted her leaning against the railing. It wasn't like her to get tired after a warm up like that, especially so soon. He jogged back to her side and examined her. Her breathing was deep, but quick, a thin layer of sweat had formed over brow and her skin had gotten paler.

"Hey, are you okay? You look sick," Akihiko's voice caused her to jump. She looked up at him apologetically with tired, drooping eyes.

"I'm fine, just catching my breath." She dug around in the small pocket of her school bag and retrieved a handkerchief. She softly dabbed at her forehead, face and neck; then rested her eyes for a few seconds.

"Here," a gloved hand holding a bottle of water had appeared before her. She took it in her hands and let it rest against the side of her face, letting the coldness wake her up a bit. She switched sides and finally twisted off the cap and gulped it down in no time; finishing it off with a satisfied sigh.

"Thanks, I definitely needed that." She flashed a small sheepish smile up at her senior.

"You should have said something if you weren't feeling well," he said flatly.

"I know, but I guess I'm like you," she stood up and brushed her clothes off, "I can never turn down a challenge. So, how much time do we have?"

"We have a couple of minutes, but we still need tickets. Let's go." He waited for her to climb up a few stairs before following close behind. All the while, she kept glancing in the direction of the alleyway.

The ride was a silent one, not that it could be helped. The leader had just about fallen asleep as soon as she found a place to sit. Akihiko sat across from her and stared at the suitcase he had set beside him, alone in his thoughts once more.

A sudden jerk and the sound of the electric doors lulled her out of her short nap. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder, shaking her out of her tired daze. She covered her mouth as a yawn rose through her throat then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She felt the space next to her for her bag but found nothing. She jolted up looking for it.

"I got it." He lifted it up for her to see then motioned for her to exit the car. She followed the silent instruction and held out her hand to retrieve her bag. She was disappointed when he declined the request.

"Senpai, you don't have to," she said. It was already embarrassing enough that he scolded her earlier. She could carry her own things at least.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, shrugging off her attempts to reclaim her bag. "We're almost there anyway. Also, when we get back in the dorm, I want you to get some rest."

She pursed her lips together as a silent protest while they made their way toward the strip mall. The pair made their way up the stairs and eventually stopped in front of the ramen shop Hagakure.

Realizing that Akihiko's hands were full, she walked toward the restaurant's entrance, "I'll get that for you. Are you hungry or something?"

"I'm fine, and we're only here to intercept someone."

"Oh, okay." Right as her fingers brushed against the door handle, the door slid open revealing a maroon coat on the other side. She tilted her head up and stared surprised at the man who had almost bumped into her.

"You again," his voice carried a tone of accusation. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

"That should be my line!" She opened her mouth to speak again but before the words could take form Akihiko interrupted.

"Shinji," he held out the attaché case. Minako stepped out of the way as Shinjiro eyed the encased evoker. "I'm not asking this time. We're up against other persona-users this time; we need your help."

"Tch," he walked past it but barely got more than a few steps before the girl stuck her arm out in his way. She shamelessly flashed him a cocky grin but, he simply pushed his way through without a word.

"Ken Amada just joined SEES." He came to an abrupt stop at Akihiko's words.

"What," he growled; he glared at the silver-haired SEES member. The atmosphere had instantly become heavy, the tension made everything unnaturally still. The girl cleared her throat, uncomfortable with the sudden change although it had only been a few seconds.

"Yeah, not long ago. Um, do you know him or something?" Shinjiro's shifted his eyes toward her then back at Akihiko, ignoring her inquiry. Normally, she wouldn't stand for being brushed aside, but the tension in the atmosphere kept her quiet.

"Ikutsuki-san ran some tests and found that he had the potential," the silver-haired youth explained, "Ken volunteered after that."

"I see," he spoke slowly and a heavy sigh followed afterward. He turned around and walked toward his childhood friend." Is my room empty?"

A relieved smile flashed on Akihiko's face as Shinjiro took the attaché case from him, "Same as you left it."

"Now that that's out of the way, I have business with you!" The female SEES member piped up. Since the tension had left she had become more animated, pointing enthusiastically at the new member. "You should know what I'm talking about."

The two seniors stared at her; one was confused, the other annoyed. Unsatisfied without an answer she placed her hands on her hips and started tapping her foot impatiently. Finally, Shinjiro answered, "Yeah, I know. I already took care of it."

Minako's expression brightened greatly with a content grin. She stretched her arms up and relaxed. "Good, now I can finally enjoy some time off."

Sudden realization crossed Akihiko's face as he glanced back and forth between Shinjiro and the SEES leader. "Wait, when you said you had plans…You meant with Shinji!'

She laughed at his surprise and gave a lopsided nod as her answer. "I asked him to do something for me last night. Barely in SEES for five minutes and he already managed get on my good side."

Akihiko wanted to ask, but decided that whatever she was talking about, it was between them. Also the way Shinjiro glared at her back as she walked off wasn't exactly inviting for questioning. Nonetheless, they both took her lead, and headed back to the dorm.

"Another girl huh," growled Shinjiro, "Great."

"What do you mean? She may be a bit off but she's an amazing fighter."

"Idiot," Shinjiro spat, "that's not what I'm talking about. Girls like her and Mitsuru, gotta keep an eye on them."

"Okay," the SEES leader's voice chimed throughout the lounge, taking the attention of her dorm mates. As soon as the trio had reached the dorms, she insisted to make an announcement, "We're taking a break from Tartarus tonight so our newbie can settle in."

As she said 'newbie' she gestured toward a disgruntled looking Shinjiro who had taken his place on the chair in front of her. She ignored the glare he gave her and continued on with her speech. "So this changes the schedule a bit. We'll be going tomorrow night. Sorry if this messes up your plans, but be prepared for tomorrow night. I'll have a party schedule posted tomorrow morning. That's all!"

The SEES members began to disperse with the senior members heading off up stairs, most likely catching up. Yukari and Fuuka stayed in the lounge, one helping herself to a cup of pudding while the other opened up her laptop and started typing, presumably keeping a log of the dorm activities. The youngest member of SEES was sitting at the far end of the room perched up on one of the bar stools, catching Minako's attention.

The boy didn't seem to notice as she crossed the room to him. His eyes were cast down, staring into a dark pool of coffee. His expression was hard to read, or rather, it was completely blank. The girl gently tapped his shoulder; the boy didn't seem to register the contact.

"Ken-kun," she spoke softly, in spite of his mood, she kept a cheerful disposition. He quickly looked up at her, startled. "Want to get something to eat?"

"Oh, no, thank you," his voice was barely above a whisper as he turned his attention back to his mug. "I'm not really hungry..."

"Well, okay," she didn't feel comfortable leaving him like this but it seemed like he wasn't in the mood to talk. "You don't have to be so formal with me y'know, and if something's bothering you, just come see me okay?"

He silently nodded, "May I be excused?"

"Sure, no problem," Her red eyes followed him as he slid off his seat, absentmindedly leaving the mug behind, and headed for his room. If she kept chastising him for answers, it would most likely push him further away. It left a bad taste in her mouth but it was probably for the best to leave him alone for now.

She sighed and picked up the near full cup of coffee around and placed it next to the sink, the blue capped member of SEES had took this opening. "He's always been a pretty moody kid, but he seemed really down today."

"Maybe it's more serious than I thought if even you noticed, Junpei," she covered her doubts with her trademark smile, "But what did you need?"

"Hey, you couldn't have forgotten already. This afternoon I said I wanted details so I'm here to collect!"

"Right, just one sec," she left for a moment, and retrieved her bag from the dining table; shuffling through its contents she revealed a worn-out, dog-eared notebook. She pulled out two more just like them and offered them to her classmate. "Here, you slept through Ekoda's, Toriumi's, and Edogawa's classes right?"

"Yeah…" he started, "but I don't care about that! I want to know what you were up to last night!"

"Oh…I see," she placed her notes flat on the table and leaned forward, "Come here, I can't say it out loud."

The grin on Junpei's face widened as he leaned in from the other side of the table. The SEES leader looked around first and cupped her hand over his ear and whispered. His eyes widened, "You can't be serious!"

Barely able to keep herself from laughing, the girl brought her index finger over her grin and attempted to shush him. However, the outburst had already caught the attention of the others who stayed in the lounge.

"Quiet! It's supposed to be a secret."

"The hell it is! Of all the things you could be doing, you STUDIED for two hours? Who does that!"

"The Dark Hour DOES give us an extra hour in the day. Just a perk for us persona-users, I just know how to use my time wisely." Minako joked as she repacked her notes and headed up stairs, leaving a disappointed Junpei behind.

As soon as she thought she was out of his line of sight, she let her posture drop as well as her eyelids. It'd probably be best to take advantage of the time off and heed Akihiko's advice. She was about to force what little energy she had left up but was stopped before she could reach the next staircase by someone calling to her.

She instinctively straightened her posture, turning her attention to the voice that called to her. "Oh, it's you. What'cha need?"

The new recruit was sitting at the provided table just outside the hall. A white shiba-inu had taken his place on the floor next to him, keeping keen red eyes on his new human companion. "I just wanted to ask something."

"Well, shoot," she permitted with a shrug, walking over to the other side of the table leaning on it with her hands.

"What, exactly, is your reason for fighting?"

Without skipping a beat, her lips spread into a toothy smile, and although her eyes were strained, they brighten as they opened wide. It was as if she had been waiting all this time for someone to ask her that.

"I want to protect _everyone_!"

A moment passed as neither party said anything. His eyes had locked with hers, searching for the sincerity in her words, especially after the unneeded emphasis on the word "everyone." Although her tired eyelids had since lowered, the gleam they held a second ago was still strong.

She was such a naïve girl. At any other time, he would have scoffed at the idea that she was capable of even attending tomorrow night's investigation. However even in her fatigued state, she shone with such confidence. Still, one can't lead on charisma alone. He'd have to witness the skills that Akihiko was so quick to praise for himself.

"Alright," he said, "But I just want to get one thing straight. I'm gonna do things the way I do them, and I don't plan on changing the way I do things."

"We'll see about that," she replied. Her wine-colored eyes had the same amusement that was so clear the previous night. "I'm Minako, in case you wanted to know."

"Shinjiro Aragaki."

"Well, Shinjiro-senpai, be sure to get a lot of rest for tomorrow. I look forward to seeing what you can do," she said. Without waiting for him to answer, she was already jogging up the next flight of stairs. Tomorrow night couldn't come soon enough.


	3. Leadership Qualities

Not a single response to my joke…Well I guess that can't be helped you're not here for boring stuff like that. (Though I wonder if things could have been different if someone laughed at Ikutsuki's jokes…I digress).

I'm sorry about the lack of updates. Since school started, I've pretty much been swamped with coursework. I've been writing so many essays that I'd get sick of writing. I can't wait until I have to start on my 12 page piece! (...ugh…) So updates will be coming to a crawl while I try to get things done.

That being said, I was wondering if anyone reading my story would be interested in helping me proofread etc. Obviously I'm not out to force anyone, and I can't guarantee that updates will be faster with one. Just if anyone is _that_ bored, it could be something to do, and it'll make life that much easier. Message me, leave it in a review, or whatever if you're interested. As always, reviews on anything are welcome and I hope you enjoy.

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**Leadership Qualities**

The next night, the majority of SEES gathered around the bulletin board as they examined their equipment and talked amongst themselves. Their leader, however, had yet to return to the dorm since she left for school this morning. Shinjiro tallied this in his mind. Good fighter or not, it was hard to see her as reliable if she couldn't be punctual.

Shinjiro glanced up at the clock that hung in the lobby. The Dark Hour would be starting in twenty minutes. Koromaru, the dog that had been eying him the night before, sat on the floor next to him; his tail wagging side-to-side enthusiastically as he stared out the window.

"Hey, Aki," he said, getting the attention of the boxer seated on the couch next to him, "Are things always like this?"

Akihiko raised an eyebrow at the question, "What do you mean?"

"Is she always late like this?"

"No," he answered. "But she is in charge of funding and supplying our Tartarus runs. So she's probably taking care of that."

As though Akihiko's line had triggered it, Koromaru stood on all four paws and trotted toward the door. A few soft raps at the front door sounded throughout the lounge that took everyone's attention. Mitsuru, who was closest to the door, took the handle and opened it cautiously before pulling it further open. There, Minako stood, her arms covered with shopping bags and a small note was crushed in her left fist.

She let the bags slide off her arms as she stepped in, and sprinted her way upstairs. She called out to them, "We'll leave right after I get my things!"

The others sorted out the purchased goods while Shinjiro observed; it mostly contained medical supplies, some snacks, and a few odd trinkets. First-aid items are a given, but he couldn't make out the use of the other stuff. The junk food in particular he had a hard time seeing as necessary.

By the time Minako descended to the first floor, carrying her weapon over one shoulder with a large, empty-looking rucksack slung over the other. Those who she assigned for tonight had grouped by the entrance while those who were on standby carried their additional supplies and equipment; everyone's' weapons and evoker stashed away in similar aluminum suitcases. She smiled at their readiness and gestured for them to head out.

As they filed out, the leader shuffled her way between Akihiko and Shinjiro then said, "I put you up for tonight, so anything I should know about you?"

"Yeah," he said. "Stay outta the way when I"m fighting."

"I'll make a note of that," she said smiling, "Anything else though? Weaknesses? Persona's skills?"

"Only physical attacks as far as I know, and no weaknesses."

"Wait, seriously?" She could barely keep her surprise a secret, and Akihiko grinned at her response.

"Just wait until you see what he can do in a fight," the boxer added. "You won't be disappointed."

"Is that so," she said slowly and teasingly, "Well, I hope you use your off time wisely, Shinjiro-senpai. You'll be coming to Tartarus a lot from now on!"

"Tch, whatever," Shinjiro grumbled.

He briefly remembered the hastily scribbled notebook paper that was pinned on the wall this morning before she left. The title read "Task Assignment Schedule" with the date's task labeled "Lost and Found." The first group had Aigis, Koromaru and Ken. The second team was made up of himself, Akihiko and Yukari.

"So what was the thing posted up in the lounge?"

"The T.A.S.?" she asked. He nodded briefly and allowed her to continue. "It just helps people know ahead of time what we're doing and who I need for the job. I usually post it up on a weekly basis, but since we didn't go yesterday I had to change it."

"So what's 'Lost and Found' then?"

She grinned, "Oh, you read it, huh? Well, I got a call from the guy I do favors for. Get ready to be a hero, because we're saving a life today!"

SEES came to a stop just outside the locked school gates and waited for Mitsuru to take care of the lock. Minako had since gone to check on Aigis and Koromaru, giving a small pep talk before diverting her attention to the youngest member, Ken.

She hesitated a moment, weighing her options between matching his height or patting him on the head. Neither seemed quite right. Instead she placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"I'm counting on you today, Ken," she said.

His large brown eyes stared at her blankly before they began to focus. His head bobbed up and down sharply, "I'll do my best!"

Seconds later, time stopped and the world began to warp and school began to transform. The first team and their leader jogged ahead of the others, not wasting any time in the lobby and immediately ascended the tower. A shot rang out in the empty hall as Fuuka summoned Lucia and began to concentrate.

The rest of SEES assembled while Shinjiro took in the new atmosphere. While he was in SEES they didn't bother coming in here, and it surprised him how different it felt just being inside. Although he couldn't quite place his finger on what that difference was.

"Are you adjusting well, Shinjiro?" Mitsuru had taken her place next to him with Akihiko behind her. The air of professionalism she kept hadn't changed since the last time he saw her. If anything, it seemed to have intensified over the years.

He shrugged indifferently at her question, "We'll see once I get in there."

"It's a shame that we won't be fighting together today," though she didn't seem at all disappointed, if she was she hid it well. Mitsuru continued, her tone somewhat lighter, "It appears Akihiko had done his share of pleading in order to fight with you again."

"That's not true!" Akihiko quickly interjected, "Though I do look forward to it. It'll be just like old times, right Shinji?"

The taller senior gruffly sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He had to admit, to himself at least, that the whole situation was making him feel a little nostalgic.

"Yeah," he finally said, "Just like old times."

A few minutes later, a flash of light engulfed the room for a second and disappeared. Standing in the middle of the lobby was the rescue team and one extra, carried in Aigis's arms. The leader smiled wide as the anti-shadow weapon laid the victim to rest on the floor. Yukari went to check on his condition, offering food and water.

"Okay guys," she announced, digging her hand into her pocket and fishing out a crumpled piece of paper, "And that's the only one so, we'll switch teams here. Aigis, monitor on his condition, if anything happens let us know."

"Affirmative," the monotonous tone of her voice complied. And she continued to

"Minako-chan," Fuuka spoke up, "The Dark Hour ends in about forty minutes."

Minako nodded in confirmation as she shoved the note back into her pocket. "That gives us about half an hour to do some scavenging." She turned to the team she took first and dismissed them with a cheerful 'good job'. She glanced around at her next team members and made the order. "Let's go!"

Mitsuru offered a smile to her closest allies, "Well then, I wish you two luck."

Although he hasn't been in Yabbashah long, Shinjiro knew for sure that he hated this place with everything he had. The first floor hall was one thing, but nothing compared to this. The air was stagnant, and the usual tension he had felt outside during the Dark Hour increased tenfold. At least on the streets shadows were rare, but they were practically crawling all over the place here. He was surprised they managed to get as far as they did under such conditions as well as how rusty his two year hiatus had made him. Of course, there was no way he'd let that show.

"Are you all right, Shinjiro-Senpai?" a soft voice echoed in his head. "Please, don't push yourself."

So much for secrecy. Although he didn't like the idea of having his condition monitored so closely, Fuuka's persona was undoubtedly what made their progression possible. He had no idea how they'd do without her live feed on the area and its changes. He cleared his throat and responded, "I'm fine."

The team had been instructed to look for anything useful and gather together to pool their findings before heading to the next floor. While their leader would stray from the group as soon as the opportunity would arise, he found himself following Akihiko and Yukari. Even though hostile shadows were fairly rare, he wasn't too keen on the idea of wondering around here lost just as he was getting into the swing of things.

"Does she always do things solo?" Shinjiro asked. The question was directed to his old colleague.

The silver-haired boy glanced back and answered, "Not usually, but don't worry. We're on still on one of the lower floors so the shadows here aren't too tough. She knows what she's doing."

"Everyone, please regroup. The leader is asking for assistance." Fuuka's voice rang as she gave the team the leader's position. The troupe stopped short of the next corner and changed directions.

"Tch, knows what she's doin', huh?"

It wasn't long before they found Minako. She wasn't in any immediate danger but she had her back pressed up to one of the aqua pillars. The earphones that usually dangled around her shoulders were hooked over her ears. As though she could sense their presence, she sharply brought her arm up, bringing them to a halt and pressed her finger to her lips.

Even in the darkened halls, Shinjiro could see her brows scrunch together and her lips tightened into a thin line as she gripped her naginata with both hands. She tapped her foot silently on the tiled floor. Once, twice and on the third she leapt out from her hiding spot, twisting her upper body with her weapon. The startled cry of a horse rang out in the quiet of the corridor followed by the metallic clang of armor. Taking advantage of the shadow's surprise, the SEES leader pulled her evoker from its holster and pressed the cold metal to her temple.

"Black Frost," she cried, her voice was particularly heavy and stern as her finger squeezed the trigger, the dark figure of the mischievous demon manifested and waited for its order. "Marakunda!"

The demon obeyed and vanished shortly thereafter. The plated armor of the shadows began to glow green with cracks, it was their signal to go on the offensive. Without missing a beat, she formed her string of instructions articulately, "Fuuka, I need an analysis! Yukari, you're on support! Akihiko-Senpai, test with zio and Shinjiro-Senpai, proceed on the offensive but be careful. Everyone keep me posted."

As the team surrounded the shadows, Fuuka announced she needed more time. Akihiko didn't waste any, and quickly summoned Polydeuces, commanding a bolt lighting to strike on the downed phantom armor. The pugilist grimaced as the enemy didn't flinch, in fact it started to recover. "Lightning's useless!"

Taking that as his cue to step in, Shinjiro charged, the weight of his weapon tugging his arm back with each step. He used the momentum of his dash to swing the gigantic axe horizontally, the effort was rewarded with heavy contact, the visible cracks in the floating armor flashed and thickened for a second before disappearing. Although he was able to do some damage, it wasn't as effective as he had hoped it would be while rakunda was active.

"It's wind!" their distant support called out, "Use Garu skills!"

The leader shot a grin toward Yukari, "You know what to do!"

The other female member nodded and pulled the trigger on her evoker. Io emerged shortly afterwards, sharp gusts of wind burst from underneath their foes, tossing them up and throwing them violently onto the ground. "There's our opening!"

The group readied themselves to charge but leader threw her arm out, "I need 'em stunned Yukari!"

The pink clad girl summoned Io once more, performing the same attack. The strong gusts tossed them up, shuffling the phantoms again leaving them in disoriented heaps on the floor. One of the shadows, unable to keep its form any longer, burst and evaporated. The other lay helplessly on the floor, the will to fight drained completely as the phantom's horse struggled on its side.

Minako carefully strode to it, poking it with the end of her polearm, while the others traced her movements with her gaze. Shinjiro especially wore a critical look, unsure of what she was planning to do. Her hands quickly and cautiously worked on the horse's reins. She looked up to Yukari when she finished, nodded and backed away carefully. A shot echoed in the corridors and the shadow was ripped to pieces with the sharp whistling of the wind.

"That seems to be all the shadows on that floor," Fuuka informed. "The Dark Hour will be ending in about ten minutes too."

"Thanks, Fuuka. Tell the others to pack it up and leave, we'll be back in a second," The leader chimed, absentmindedly examining her prize. "Is there a waypoint on this floor?"

"Yeah," Akihiko answered, "It's down where we came from."

"Excellent," She said as she set aside her trophy and shouldered the bag she left behind the pillar before she initiated the assault. "Let's get outta here."

The quartet began to pace down the hallway, and began to tinker with the horse reins, weighing it in her palms with a satisfied smile. She walked behind the others and occasionally darted her eyes up at Shinjiro, making him uneasy.

When they arrived in the first floor hall, only Mitsuru, Fuuka and Aigis with the survivor in her arms remained. Shinjiro rubbed his eyes, he wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to using the teleport device. At least it beat the hell out of having to run up and down the place. When he regained focus, Mitsuru had moved to rejoin her original team while Minako and Yukari checked the victim's condition.

"Don't worry," she said with a hint of a smile, "It can be a bit jarring at first, but you'll get accustomed to it. How did it go?"

"Fine, it's been a while though," Shinjiro said, shrugging the ache out of his shoulder. As much as he hated to admit it, he was out of practice.

"I see," She said composedly, "I'm sure you'll adjust fine with the current set up our new leader has set in place."

"So that girl's really the one running things now, huh?"

"Is that a problem?" Although Mitsuru was always the epitome of an ice queen, her tone this time was particularly cold. "I assure you, we wouldn't have gotten this far without her contribution. If-"

"I get it, already," he grumbled. He honestly wasn't in the mood to be preached to, but for the brat to earn Mitsuru's respect was saying something at least. Or maybe it was just some weird girl-connection they had going. Whatever the case, she had something that won over the old SEES members, and he just wasn't seeing it yet.

"Hey, you guys," Yukari called out, apparently during their exchange their kohai had already left the building. "You guys don't want to be stuck in here when the school changes do you?"

"She's right," Akihiko said, "Let's get going."

The walk back the dorm was fairly uneventful. Aigis was sent to deliver the man they rescued to the police station leaving Minako and Yukari to talk about whatever while Shinjiro listened to the recent changes to SEES operations explained by Mitsuru and Akihiko.

Koromaru eagerly greeted them once they crossed the threshold of the dorm, earning an a few pats on the head and incoherent cooing on part of the leader. Yukari, Mitsuru, and Akihiko decided to return to their respective rooms and when Shinjiro moved to follow them, he felt a familiar tug on his coat sleeve.

Minako simply smiled and asked quietly, "Got a minute?"

"What for?" he responded gruffly.

"I just wanted to talk for a minute," she replied, unfazed by his irritableness. Without waiting for him to say anything she continued jokingly, "See how you're doing and all that."

After the incident with Mitsuru he wasn't in the mood to talk about any of that crap again. He answered her questions with an indifferent shrug, "I'll live."

"Glad to hear it," she said beaming, "I saw the damage you did to that last shadow. I didn't think anyone would to chip armor that thick, with one hit too!"

She presented the reins she took earlier and pointed out the abrasions in the thick leather straps, gleaming dark spots were imbedded in the dents. No mistaking it, it was definitely from the armor those shadows were wearing. He glanced back up at her and she, in turn, gave him an abrupt nod of approval.

The sudden praise threw him a little off guard. It was definitely a change from their usual exchanges. He shifted uncomfortably under her admiring stare and asked, "Is that all?"

"Pretty much," she said, putting away her trinket with an absentminded smile. He motioned for the stairs again but didn't get too far. He growled under his breath when he felt yet another tug on his coat. "Wait, I forgot. Just one more thing and then you can go, okay?"

"Well," He said over his shoulder, "What is it?"

The bright expression she wore only a few seconds ago seemed to have dimmed down to simple, soft smile, "I just wanted to say, you're part of the team so if you need something, let me know alright?"

Although tonight was meant to be a trial run, there were some things he still had questions about. However, staying awake for much longer wasn't appealing in the least. "Yeah, well, I still got questions about how you're running things."

Looking closely at his face she could see the redness in his eyes and nodded. "Sure and tomorrow's a rest day; well, I have school and some other errands…I think I have work too… um, but as soon as I get back we can talk about whatever."

"Anything else?"

"Nope, you're free to go now." She said cheerfully and sent him off with a playful wave. To say her shifts in attitude were erratic would be an understatement. One minute she's being an obstinate punk, the next she's trying to be all chummy. There was something definitely off about this girl, and he didn't like it.


End file.
